Head-to-head · Best Comfortable Camping Chairs

GCI Outdoor Comfort Pro Chair vs REI Co-op Flexlite Camp Chair

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

The short answer

GCI Outdoor Comfort Pro Chair comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.3 vs 4.2). The gap is mostly about Tall or larger campers on a budget who want an easy-to-enter, supportive, well-ventilated chair for car camping. — read the strengths below before deciding.

Higher ratedRanked #4 in Best Comfortable Camping Chairs

GCI Outdoor Comfort Pro Chair

4.3

$55

The Comfort Pro is the budget pick built for tall and larger campers: a tall seat and high mesh back make getting in and out easy and keep you cooler, all for about $55. OutdoorGearLab calls it one of the more supportive chairs at its price. The catches are an awkward 45-inch packed length and a weight that rules it out for backpacking.

Strengths

— Tall seat and high back are easy to get in and out of
— More supportive than most chairs in its budget price range
— Breathable angled mesh back panel for hot-day ventilation

Watch-outs

— Long 45-inch packed size is awkward to carry and store
— About 8.3 pounds, too heavy and bulky for backpacking
— 300-pound capacity trails the King Kong by a wide margin

$55 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Ranked #5 in Best Comfortable Camping Chairs

REI Co-op Flexlite Camp Chair

4.2

$89.95as of Jun 7

The Flexlite Camp Chair is the ultralight pick: at just 1.7 pounds it is the lightest chair in OutdoorGearLab's entire lineup and packs to the size of a loaf of bread. It is a hammock-style scoop seat that's great for smaller campers and short carries. The trade-offs are real, it gets wobbly when you shift, and larger or taller campers find it less comfortable.

Strengths

— Just 1.7 pounds, the lightest chair in this comparison
— Packs down to about the size of a loaf of bread
— Intuitive setup with reinforced pole pockets

Watch-outs

— Frame is unstable and wobbly when you shift side to side
— Less comfortable the larger or taller you are
— 250-pound capacity, the lowest in this group

$89.95 · Buy at rei.com Full review →

How they stack up

GCI Outdoor Comfort Pro Chair

The budget tall-camper pick here, cheaper than the ALPS Mountaineering King Kong, Helinox Sunset Chair, REI Co-op Flexlite Camp Chair, and NEMO Stargaze EVO-X, with a higher seat than most but a bulkier packed size than the King Kong.

REI Co-op Flexlite Camp Chair

The lightest and most packable chair here, beating even the Helinox Sunset Chair on weight, but far less comfortable and stable than the ALPS Mountaineering King Kong, GCI Outdoor Comfort Pro, or NEMO Stargaze EVO-X, and lower-backed than the Sunset.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	GCI Outdoor Comfort Pro Chair	REI Co-op Flexlite Camp Chair
Weight	8.3 lb	1.7 lb
Weight Capacity	300 lb	250 lb
Seat Height	~15 in (front edge ~20 in)	—
Back	High angled mesh panel	—
Packed Size	45 x 7 x 5 in	15 x 4.5 x 4.5 in
Frame	Steel	Aluminum, hammock-style
Setup	Fold-out, no assembly	Pole-and-pocket
Price Class	Budget	Mid
Seat	—	Ripstop polyester with airflow slits
Sold By	—	REI Co-op

← See the full ranking of best comfortable camping chairs